Program preselecting time control apparatus



ec.- 16, 1947. F. H. OWENS 2,432,540

PROGRAM PRESELECTING TIME CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Dec; 27, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet l BY W),

Dec. 1 1947. F, H, OWENS; 2,432,540

PROGRAM PRESEIJECTING TIME CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Dec, 27, 1945 2SheetS-Sheet 2 MINI mzm ATTH/F/VEV Patented Dec. 16, 1947 PROGRAMPRESELECTING TIME CONTROL APPARATUS Freeman H. Owens, New York, N. Y.

Application December 27, 1943, Serial No. 515,853

15 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to apparatus for preselectingdesired programs or timed sequences and is a continuation-in-part ofinventions covered in copending patent applications Ser. No. 397,504,filed June 10, 1941, Patent No. 2,337,568, dated December 28, 1943; Ser.No. 450,449, filed July 10, 1942; Ser. No. 465,155, filed November 10.1942; and Ser. No. 520,693, filed February 1, 1944.

Special objects of the present invention are to provide station orfeature selecting time switches which, while occupying small space as agroup will be readily distinguished individually and be readily selectedand operated to predetermine a program or sequence of timed features;which while of simple and inexpensive construction will be of ruggeddesign and not liable to get out of order and which will be of suchnature as to be readily assembled and combined with the radio or otherapparatus with which it is to be used.

Other desirable objects attained by the invention will appear in thecourse of the following specification.

The novel features and combinations through which the purposes of theinvention are attained are set forth in the following specification,

broadly covered in the claims and illustrated by.

way of practical example in the accompanying drawings. Actual physicalstructure may be modified and changed in various ways all within thetrue spirit and broad scope of the invention and for that reason, theillustrated form is to be considered primarily for purposes ofdisclosure and not necessarily by way of limitation, the actual scope ofthe invention being as hereinafter broadly defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a broken part sectional front elevation of apresent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view as on substantially the plane ofline 2-2 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the switch keys.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on substantially the plane of line 4-4of Fig. 1.

In the present disclosure, the invention is illustrated as applied tothe control of a radio receiver. Accordingly, the various time switchesserve to set the apparatus for bringing in different radio stations orfor shutting off the receiver or for eifecting other desired operationsat the particular times indicated by such switches.

The individual switches are shown as comprising disc-like members 1,journalled in side-byside relation on a fixed supporting shaft 8, and

having exposed finger levers 9, at the front and carrying arched springcontacts ID, at the back, each slidingly engaging at one end a timecontact ii, and selectively engageable at the opposite end with one ofthe station or special feature representing bus wires l2.

The spring contacts [0, may be made of lengths of wire bent at thecenter to form a locating loop 13, and oppositely projecting reverselycurved bearing loops I 4, at opposite sides of the same. This providesthe reversely extending spring arm portions l5, and these are shown bentback upon themselves and as'terminating in sharply angled end portionsl6, for engagement with the stationary contact elements H and I2. Thespring wire brushes thus provided are shown as symmetrically formed, soas to be reversible end-for-end.

The brushes are located and held in the discs or key levers by beingdisposed in grooves I1, in the rearward peripheral portions of suchlevers, said grooves being deep enough to accommodate and permit freespring action and narrow enough to confine the arched wires in'theedgewise disposed relation illustrated. Specifically these locating andholding grooves are shown as each having a deep central portion l8, toaccommodate the center loop l3, and rounded bearing shoulders l9, atopposite sides of the same to serve as fulcrums for the rounded rootportions M of the spring arms l5. Thus located, the spring wires areheld in their seats under the spring tension generated by engagement ofthe opposite ends of the wires with the time contacts and bus wiresrespectively.

In the particular organization illustrated, the finger levers 9, projectup through a slot 20. in the upper front portion of a cabinet 2|, andwhich slot is wide enough to admit of the rotary movement necessary tocarry the brush contacts into and out of engagement with the several buscontacts. In the illustration, there are seven of the latter, six of theconductors [2, used for instance for different radio stations and theseventh conductor, 22, used for shutting the receiver off. In all thisrange of movement, the lower forward ends 16, of the spring brushes rideover the time contacts H, which are shown curved to the approximate arcof travel of such ends.

, In front of the keys and below the levers 9, the cabinet is shown ascarrying a scale or chart 23, identifying the individual keys as totime. A radio station or feature identifying scale is indicated at 24,showing the several positions of the switch fingers necessary to bringin such stations or special features.

The pivotally mounted keys are properly segregated so that one will notbe affected by the adjustment of an adjoining key, by means consistingin the illustration, of thin spacing washers 25, interposed betweenadjoining keys and held nonrotatably on the supporting shaft 6, by lugs25, engaged in a groove 21, in the shaft.

The entire bank of keys may be handled as a single unit or as shown inthe illustration, in two unit sections, with the mounting shaft 8, ofeach such section adapted to seat at opposite ends in end grooves 28,provided to receive the same in opposing end wall portions of thecasing.

The bus wires 12 and 22, are shown as seated in longitudinally extendingV-shaped grooves 29, in a curved insulating support 30, extending aboutthe back of the keys and the curved time contacts H, are shown as seatedin transversely extending V-shaped grooves 3|, in the front lowerportion of this same insulating support.

Suitable connections are extended from the station selecting bus wiresto the necessary radio or other parts, for example, as indicated incopending patent application Ser. 465,155 first identified. Similarly,connections are extended from the time contacts I I, to correspondingtime contacts under control of appropriate time clock mechanism. Thelatter may be similar to that disclosed in the co-pending patentapplication last mentioned, or more particularly; like that disclosed inpatent application Ser. No. 520,693, where the time contacts, such as H,are formed wires, extended as indicated at 32, to terminal portions 33,grouped circularly in an annular support 34, about a rotating brush 35,driven from the clock motor 36. This brush is shown as having one branch31, positioned to engage the successive time contacts 33, and anotherbranch 38, positioned to ride the current supply ring 39.

In the illustration, the distributor brush 35, makes one completerevolution each twenty-four hours and the contacts 33, are spaced to besuccessively engaged for each fifteen minute interval, the present usualbroadcast period. The time clock also operates an accurate timing rotaryswitch 40, like that in patent application Ser, No. 465,155, for closingthe control circuit at the end of each fifteen minute interval, thus toclose the circuit just previously set up by engagement of the brush withthe contact 33, corresponding to the existing time.

The control circuits are not illustrated but they may-be similar tothose disclosed in the copending patent applications-referred to and mayinclude station selecting tuners such as represented at 4i, volumecontrols 42, and or other related devices, such as the wave bandselecting switches indicated at 55, and particularly described in patentapplication 465,155.

The clock mechanism, may-vary, but is here shown as including arotarytwenty-four hour clock dial 43, and cooperating fifteen minute dial 44,conjointly visible through window 45, in the front of the cabinet.

The combined distributor contacts 33, and time contacts II, withintermediate connecting portions-32, may ineach case be, a singlelengthbf insulated wire having bared endportions for engagement by therotating brush of the clock and theslidingbrush of the cooperating timekey. The longitudinally extended contact portions H, may be secured intheir positioning grooves 3!, by cement or be retained under springtension imposed by seating these curvedportions in such grooves andpassing angled end portions 46, 41, through appropriate securingopenings 43, 49, provided in the insulating support 30. The bus wires orrods [2 and 22, may be similarly formed and held in place.

The rotary movement of the keys provides a smooth easy action and theangled ends of the spring brushes engaging the longtitudinally eX-tending conductors and the walls of the grooves in which they areseated, serve to retain the keys in the various angular relations towhich they may be adjusted. The parts are combined in a particularlycompact space saving relation, en-

abling the unit to be quite small and to be readily combined with or bebuilt into a small radio cabinet. The parts are of simple design,readily manufactured and easily assembled. The wires forming the timecontacts with intermediate connecting portions may be readily bent oversuitable forms or jigs and the wires forming the spring brushes may bereadily produced in suitable bending dies.

The time keys may be stamped. or molded in suitable insulating materialand to facilitate both molding andassembling operations, they may beformed as indicated in Fig. 3, that is, with the brush receiving grooveH, formed entirely in one face of the key and withv a lug or postportion 50, opposite the center depression i8, to act as a confiner forthe spring brush. With this construction, thespring brushes can bemounted by simply laying them in the open-sided slots, with the archedportions engaged in back of the posts 59. When assembled on the mountingshaft the closed sideof one key will be opposed to the open side of theadjoining key, so that the brushes can not escape from their mountings.

The-pivot shaft or shafts for the keys may be made up as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2 of sheet metal rolled transversely into cylindrical form,but with the edges left spaced to provide thekeyway for the spacingdiscs.

With the time keys arranged in two gangs or sections as in the presentdisclosure, a center bearing may be provided for the two shaft sections8, this being shown in Fig. 4, as comprising the complemental inner andouter half sections El, 52, held in place by a long'screw'53, extendingfrom the back through the insulating support 36. In this construction,the back section 51', carries at the opposite sides, seats 54, for theinner ends of the shaft sections and the outer member 52, serves as anornamental cap piece holding the shafts in place and forming a spacerbetween the two banks of keys. The ornamental effect is carried outfurther by grooving the top of the cap'piece in line with the groovingof the keys and by providing the'station indicator scale 24 on thispiece.

, The volume control knobs or buttons 42, in addition to the rotarymovement for volume control'adjustments, may have an in. and outmovement, so as to serve as manuals for arbitrarily effecting closing ofthe station selecting or feature controlling switches. These switches asdisclosed'in copendingpatent applications Ser. Nos. 397,504, 450,449,465,155 and.499,295, may be of the self-opening type and adapted to beclosed in each instance, either by one of these manuals or byanelectromagnet in. a circuit which can be set up by any one of thestation selecting time keys. Thus the-station selecting or turning theset offer on, or other functions may be arbitrarily effected at anytime,through the medium of the manuals, or'be: automatically effectedaccording to a preselected schedule or program. In either case, thefunction controlling switch which is closed either by a magnet under apredetermined time schedule or by hand operation of a manual, is held inits closed position and any previously held switch is automaticallyreleased, by inter locking mechanism, such as disclosed in theapplications mentioned and comprising usually a universal latch barbiased into a holding position and adapted to be engaged by rockinglevers forming parts of the control switches, to release any previouslyheld lever and to catch and hold the switch lever which is theneffecting such movement of the universal latch bar.

The time clock 36, is indicated only in a very general way, since astandard clock movement may beused, modified as disclosed in copendingcase Ser. No. 520,693 to operate the accurate fifteen minute timerswitch and the rotary distributor switch,

The members BI, 52, which act as a stationary intermediate spacerbetween the two banks of keys and support the inner ends of the shaftscarrying said keys overlie the longitudinally extending station busWires and hence may serve to positively hold the intermediate portionsof those wires in their V-shaped grooves. The back portions of themembers may be shaped to enter these grooves and bear upon the wires ora filler or fillers for holding the wires in place may be inserted andbe held in place by the two half sections. The fastening screw whichcomes through the back locates these half sections accurately inposition between the two banks of keys.

What is claimed is:

1. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprisinglongitudinally extended relatively insulated time contacts spaced apartin side-by-side relation, relatively insulated spaced function selectingcontacts disposed across one end of said time contacts and extended tostand in opposition to substantially the full group of said timecontacts, brush members movable in the direction of longitudinal extentof said time contacts and having each a terminal portion to engage anyone of said function selecting contacts and a terminal portion toslidingly engage some point in the longitudinal extent of one of saidtime contacts, rotatably mounted keys for shifting said brush membersinto engagement with different ones of said function selecting contacts,said pivotally mounted keys being disposed in side-by-side relation oversaid longitudinally extended time contacts and having narrow slots inthe backs of the same and said brush members comprising arched springwires having intermediate portions disposed within and positioned bysaid narrow grooves and protruding end portions forming the terminalportions engageable with the contacts before mentioned.

2. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors f" positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line with said transverselyextending grooves, and arched spring brushes carried by said keys andeach engageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transversegrooves and at the opposite end with the different ones of theconductors seated in said longitudinal grooves.

8. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line with said transverselyextending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by said keys and eachengageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transverse groovesand at the opposite end with the different ones of the conductors seatedin said longitudinal grooves, said insulating support being of arcuateformation approximating the arc of adjustment of said pivotally mountedkeys and said brushes being of arched spring formation to yieldinglyengage said conductors.

4. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line with said transverselyextending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by said keys and eachengageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transverse groovesand at the opposite end with the different ones of the conductors seatedin said longitudinal grooves, a common pivotal support for said keys andspacers keyed on said support between said keys.

5. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising aninsulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves andspaced transversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinallyextending grooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves,keys pivotally mounted over and substantially in line with saidtransversely extending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by saidkeys and each engageable at one end with a conductor in one of saidtransverse grooves and at the opposite end with the different ones ofthe conductors seated in said longitudinal grooves, said longitudinallyextending grooves being substantially V-shaped in cross-section and theends of the spring brushes engaging in said grooves being abruptlyangled to yieldingly retain the keys in the position of angularadjustment.

6. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line with said transverselyextending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by said keys and eachengageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transverse groovesand at the opposite end with the different ones of the conductors seatedin said. longitudinal grooves, the conductors disposed in transversegrooves being curved substantially to the arc of travel of the brushesengaging therewith. I

7. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line with said transverselyextending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by said keys and eachengageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transverse groovesand at the opposite end with the different ones of the conductors seatedin said longitudinal grooves, said brushes being of arched spring wirehaving arched portions of the same yieldingly retained in the keys.

8. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising an insulatingsupport having spaced longitudinally extending grooves and spacedtransversely extending grooves opposite said longitudinally extendinggrooves, conductors positioned in said two sets of grooves, keyspivotally mounted over and substantially in line With said transverselyextending grooves, arched spring brushes carried by said keys and eachengageable at one end with a conductor in one of said transverse groovesand at the opposite end with the different ones of the conductors seatedin said longitudinal grooves, said brushes being of arched spring wirehaving arched portions of the same yieldingly retained in the keys andthe conductors in said longitudinal and transverse grooves being wireshaving bare portions exposed to the opposite end portions of said springWire brushes.

9. Program preselecting time control mechanism, comprising key leversjournalled in side-byside relation on a common center and having fingerprojections by which they may be individually angular-1y adjusted,longitudinally extending spaced and relatively insulated conductors atthe back of said key levers substantially parallel with the pivotal axisof the same, transversely extending conductors at the back of said keylevers and substantially in line therewith and arched spring brusheshaving the intermediate arched portions of the same seated in the rearperipheral portions of said levers and the ends of the same projectinginto engagement with said longitudinally and transversely extendingconductors.

10. Pivotally mounted station selecting time switch key levers havingrecesses in the sides of the same, said levers being disposed in closelyrelated side-by-sid-e relation, spring contacts entered sideways in saidopen-sided recesses in the key levers and confined therein each by anadjacent key lever and relatively stationary contacts for engagement bysaid spring contacts.

11. In combination, station selecting keys movably supported inside-by-side relation and each having a recess in one face of the same,adapted to be closed by the key adjoining the same, contact elementsseated in said open-sided recesses and confined therein by saidadjoining keys and relatively stationary contacts positioned forengagement by said first mentioned contacts.

12. In combination, substantially flat switch keys supported inside-by-side relation and mounted for movement in the direction of thesubstantially fiat planes, said switch keys each having a recess in oneside and a lug substantially closing the intermediate portion of suchrecess, an arched spring contact seated in said recess and having theintermediate arched portion of the same engaged in back of said stud,the recess in the side of one switch key being covered by the adjoiningswitch key and whereby said spring contacts are confined in their seatedrelation and relatively stationary contacts disposed for engagement bythe ends of said arched spring contacts.

13. Program preselecting time control mechanism comprising a bank ofkeys pivotally mounted in side-by-side relation on a common axis, archedspring brushes on the backs of said pivotally mounted keys, an arcuateinsulating support in back of said keys and curved to substantially thearc of travel of said spring brushes, spaced conductors extendinglongitudinally of said arcuate support in back of said keys, spacedconductors extending transversely of said arcuate support at the back ofand in line with said keys, said last mentioned transverse conductorsbeing curved to the approximate curvature of said arcuate support, saidarched spring brushes having free contact ends and arranged each withone end in sliding engagement with one of said curved conductors and theother end selectively engageable with the first mentioned longitudinallyextending conductors.

14. Program preselecting time control mechanism comprising spacedlongitudinally extending conductors and spaced transversely extendingconductors opposite said first conductors, a longitudinally extendingshaft extending substantially centrally over said two groups ofconductors and composed of sheet material rolled into substantiallycylindrical form with the edges left spaced to provide a longitudinalslot, keys pivotally engaged on said shaft substantially in line withsaid transversely extending conductors, arched spring brushes carried bysaid keys and each slidingly engaged at one end with one of saidtransverse conductors and selectively engageable at the opposite endwith different ones of said longitudinal conductors, and spacers onsaidshaft for maintaining said keys with said brushes aligned with saidtransverse conductors, said spacers having lugs entered in said slot inthe shaft to hold them non-rotatably positioned between the keys.

15. Program preselecting time control mechanism comprising an arcuateinsulating support. a shaft support interposed transversely in theintermediate portion of said arcuate support and provided with rests atopposite sides, shafts supported atopposite ends of the arcuate supportand engageable with said rests, a cover engageable over said shaftsupport for ecuring said shafts in said rests, keys rotatably engaged onsaid shafts at opposite sides of said shaft support, brushes carried bysaid keys and conductors mounted in spaced relation on said arcuatesupport in back of said keys and engageable by said brushes.

FREEMAN H. OWENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,177,479 De Tar Oct. 24, 19391,233,133 Short July 10, 1917

